


The Weary Ones

by sharingoxygenwithyou



Series: Tumblr Prompts [11]
Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, F/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 04:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15573528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharingoxygenwithyou/pseuds/sharingoxygenwithyou
Summary: If Richard would not choose her, she would choose herself.





	The Weary Ones

**Author's Note:**

> Anon: Fight me anne neville and elizabeth of york annelives!au

She was dying.

She could hear her sister's voice. Anne hadn't heard her sister's voice in almost nine years, not since the childbed fever took her. But the second she heard it she knew it was her. She could also hear another voice, a younger voice of a young boy -- her Ned. They were calling out to her now. She was being called to heaven.

She thought of her son's sweet smile and the pain that once burned like a fire had faded away to an icy numbness. She would be with him soon.

Her breath came in ragged, shallow gasps as her vision turned into a haze of blinding light and the only thing she could hear was her own heartbeat. She wanted it to stop. She prayed for her heart to stop its beating and her lungs to stop inhaling so she could finally be reunited with Isabel and her Ned.

Perhaps she had not prayed hard enough.

* * *

Rumors of her deteriorating health circled around the court, with some even saying that she had already died. Rumors even made it's way to the rest of the kingdom. Some already mourning the death of the queen even before it was confirmed by the death knell.

Perhaps, that was why a simple servant girl nearly screamed with shock when she saw the queen's pale, thin body emerge from her apartments in nothing but a white shift. No one thought she would have any energy left -- no one thought she had any life in her left.

Anne was alive.

Barely.

"Water." Came the Queen's hoarse voice and the servant girl immediately called for help and soon enough a handful of men and ladies are escorting Anne back to the Queen's chambers, tending to her and asking if she was comfortable.

A physician came soon after Anne was in bed again, her senses somewhat refreshed by the water and her stomach pain eased after one of her ladies tore off a bit of the bread for her to chew on.

"It's a miracle." The physician said to someone, who that someone was Anne did not care. Her eyes still out of focus but she could sense the people moving around the room. "A miracle from God Himself, Your Grace."

"Anne."

Richard.

It was Richard's voice and her eyes focused but still did not look at him. She could sense the way he walked slowly towards the end of the bed, moving carefully as if she was a deer that was easily startled. His voice sounded strain but she could not find it in herself to care.

A flash of long, golden locks in the corner of the room caught Anne's eyes. She turned to see Elizabeth Rivers.

The girl was staring at her, she was white as chalk and her eyes wide open while her mouth was slightly ajar in an expression of stunned surprise and confusion.

Anne almost wanted to laugh.

Of course, her death would seem like a present to the young girl; she could finally take Richard but now, her being alive complicated things for her.

"Anne." She heard Richard murmur her name again but this time he stood next to her at the side of the bed, she felt the mattress deep and one of his hand nearing her. She flinched at even just the thought of his touch.

"Out." Was the first word out of Anne's mouth after being escorted back to her bed.

"What? What is it, Anne?" Richard asked.

"I said, out." Her throat was still sore but she forced herself to speak louder. "I want everyone out!"

* * *

Nothing.

Elizabeth Rivers felt herself breaking down, her insides eating into itself, festering into some kind of black abyss that was consuming everything.

The Queen was alive.

After her outburst, everyone, even the King was sent out of the queen's chamber. The physician and one of her trusted lady were the only ones allowed to tend to her.

Elizabeth didn't know what to think of this miracle. Everyone, even the physician was certain that the Queen would die soon. Elizabeth wanted the Queen to die soon. Richard had promised that he would make her Queen once his barren wife was dead, but now she wasn't.

And when she saw the look of relief painted on Richard's face when the physician said that she was slowly regaining her health, she could feel her heart slow its beat, and when she saw the look of agony that flashed on his face when his wife ordered everyone, including him, out, she knew that Richard still felt more for his wife than her.

She would change that. She would make sure of it.

* * *

It's been days since the Queen woke, only a few physicians and a handful of ladies were allowed to tend to her. Elizabeth Rivers was not one of those ladies.

So, that was why when one of the ladies stopped her in the middle of the corridor to tell her the Queen wanted to speak to her, she was more than stunned.

She entered the Queen's chambers quietly, giving a bow once she saw her sitting up against the headboard of the bed. She still looked thin and sickly but she could see some color back on her face and somehow here cheeks were less hallow. Her eyes were not bloodshot as she remembered seeing days ago, but she still looked so tired.

"I'm glad you are feeling better, Your Grace." Lady Elizabeth said, standing a few feet from the foot of the bed.

"Are you really, Lady Rivers?" The Queen's tone was almost jeering.

"Of course, Your Grace." She replied, still holding the Queen's gaze. "Everyone in court is happy that you are slowly recovering your health. It is still a miracle from God."

"Are they, truly?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"I would like some water, Lady Elizabeth."

Elizabeth gave a bow before moving to the table and pouring some water from a pitcher into a goblet and slowly making her way towards Anne. She gulped the water down before asking for another, and Elizabeth complied.

The Queen didn't thank her, she just shot her a smile, a forced, unhappy almost cruel smile. There was silence in the room and Elizabeth wondered how long the Queen would keep her here.

"You have yet to experience it, have you not?" Anne asked, breaking the silence. "The pain of motherhood, the cries in the night. The diseases, illness, and death of a child. It's a terrible thing; losing a child. It breaks your heart and you are lucky to have yet experienced it. I pray that you will never will. I hope that you will only experience the joy it brings."

"Thank you, Your Grace." The Rivers' girl has the wit to give a curt bow. And Anne almost wanted to let it be. Let her walk out of her chambers and do whatever she did when she did not service the queen. But she was winding up now, she wanted to be cruel -- to let her feel the pain she felt when she saw her with her husband.

Anne studied the girl once more. She had been young and in love once, she could see it as clear as day. Elizabeth had given herself away.

"You are young and beautiful, an image of both your father and mother." She continued, her pale blue impassive eyes turning to steel. "I see the way you look at Richard, I see the adoration in your eyes. You love him, don't you?" The girl did not speak but the way she avoided Anne's gaze was enough of an answer. "I always thought your mother was clever, once as a child I looked up to her for her beauty and how she managed to get everything she wanted. You seem to be following in her path, however, your mother only saw me as a child, now I am no longer that. And I feel it is my duty to tell you that, when I was a young foolish girl, so much like you, I could have never fought for myself but over the years and war changed that. Now, not only can I fight for myself but I will be willing to kill."

"Richard will grow tired of you." The Rivers' girl said, she did not know what came over her to say those words but she did and it was a stern reply as she avoided Anne's eyes.

Anne's reply was sharp, "This tale is as old as time, it comes to most Queens." She was no fool, she had seen how King Edward flaunted the whore Jane Shore around court during his times, read during lessons of King's mistresses and how Queens were humiliated in their own household. And by God, she was going to make sure it did not happen to her. "Even your own mother suffered that faith."

"My father loved my mother!" She snapped her eyes to meet Anne and she could tell she hit a cord with that remark.

"And does Richard not love me, you think?"

"Your Grace --" Whatever words that were going to spill out of the girl's mouth was cut off by a stern look from Anne. She was not done speaking.

"You will stop this... relation you have with my husband."

"That is rather up to the King, is it not?" There was an almost smug tone to the girl's voice that made Anne want to order the guard to take her away from her sight.

"There’s a name for your kind, lady Elizabeth. But 'tis not used towards ladies of your upbringing."

"With all due respect, my lady Anne." Anne noticed the change to title the girl used and how her eyes took more of a defiant look to them. "I follow only the King's orders in that aspect. Richard seems most highly satisfied with my presence."

"For now." Anne's words were like a double-edged sword for she used it to hurt the River's girl but in truth, she also thought of the possibility of Richard truly growing tired of her and casting her aside. How long before every lie, strategy, and plan Richard curated in gaining the Rivers' girls' affection to win over York loyalist, turn into truth? What if along the path, he had truly fallen for the lass?

"I am young, I could give him more children."

"And my barren self cannot."

"I'm afraid not."

Anne almost wanted to laugh, a cruel and broken laugh. How dare the Rivers' girl remind her of something that has not once left her thoughts? After all the years, people had begun to see her as nothing more than just a barren woman, they set aside her beauty or her intelligence, her families great name or any other factor, the truth simmered down to one thing; when people saw her all they could see was a barren Queen who failed her King and country. All those years of trying to produce another child all ending in miscarriages, stillbirths or the babe dying just after a few days.

All those heartbreaks over the years, and it seemed that another heartbreak was coming.

But she would not allow it.

She would not allow herself to break just because of this girl in front of her.

"Get out." Came Anne's sharp reply. "I want you out now or I'll have the guards drag you out."

Without even a bow, Elizabeth quickly moved towards the doors but when she reached to push it, the door opened the King was there.

"Is anything the matter, Lady Elizabeth?" Richard's tone was calm and almost soothing as he took in the girl's wide, frightened eyes.

"No matter, Your Grace." Her smile was filled with affection as she saw Richard. "The Queen is simply tired and needs her rest."

"Very well then." Richard nodded, his eyes moving to see Anne on the bed watching them. "Thank you for your service."

"It is my immense pleasure to serve the crown."

Richard stepped aside to let the girl leave and once they were alone, Anne let out a laugh.

"Surely her pleasure lies in serving you, not the crown."

"The crown and I are the same." Was Richard's smooth reply.

He moved to stand next to Anne at the side of the bed. He was wary about being too close to her but Anne neither flinched or gave her objections to his proximity.

“How could you do this to me?” Anne said after a moment, her voice laced with anger.

"Anne--"

"I was ready to welcome death!" She raised her voice, a look of betrayal on her face. "And yet here I am. Alive and forced to watch once again you flaunt that bastard girl around court as if you already made her Queen."

"Anne, I have explained it before." Richard was trying to keep his voice leveled, Anne could tell. After ten years of marriage, she knew Richard well, however, she could have never predicted to see this man in front of her. The man Richard had become since becoming King was not her husband.

"I was ready to die. I wanted to die, but since, for some reason of God himself, I am still alive." She said, her tone becoming cruel once again. "So, if I must suffer to live as your wife and Queen, I request one thing."

"What is it?"

"I want the Rivers' girl gone! I want her out of court, I don't want to see her again!" Even with her hoarse voice, Anne managed to raise her voice again.

"But Anne --" Richard moved to touch Anne but she flinched away from his hand.

"Either that or I leave court."

Richard's gasp of surprised shocked Anne. It seemed like it had been so long since he showed such emotion.

"You cannot! You will not!" Richard's eyes were wide as he stepped closer to Anne.

"I will!"

"I forbid it! I am your King and I forbid you from leaving!" Richard was becoming angry now. How could she simply leave him?

Their eyes never leaving each other, both of them desperate. Richard desperate for Anne to see reason and Anne desperate for Richard to choose her. To finally choose her again like he did all those years ago.

"I gambled too much to become King and I will not throw it away to Tudor."

Those words alone were enough for Anne. She knew that no matter what she said, Richard would not change his mind from this plan of his. It was enough for her to finally -- finally choose herself.

If Richard would not choose her, she would choose herself.

 


End file.
